DALLAS — He’s already gotten a nod of approval from 2000 Slam Dunk champion Vince Carter before competing in this year’s event at All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles. Now, before boarding a flight to L.A. for this weekend’s festivities, rookie point guard Dennis Smith Jr. received plenty of support from inside the Dallas Mavericks’ locker room.
Friday, Smith will participate with the U.S. squad in the Mtn Dew Kickstart Rising Stars game in his first trip to All-Star Weekend. He then will be one of four participants in the 2018 Verizon Slam Dunk contest, which will take place the following night at Staples Center.